Recieved an email from CDWOW today that the next 3 Depeche Mode re-issues in SACD Surround have been shipped from Hong Kong.

I hope to get these by Tuesday.

The last 3 were just awesome in surround.

John,

Maybe you can help me get this straight:

Is it that

the imports are SACD Hybrids with PAL DVDs

the domestics are NOT SACD, but with NTSC DVDs naturally.

????

yes, they way its been working is that to get the SACD hybrid version you have to pony up for the imports But the videos are PAL Region 0 which do play on my Denon 3910.

In the USA, these releases are DD 5.1/Stereo with NTSC videos.

Just received two of the Depeche Mode SACDs in todays mail from Hong Kong:

SOFAD and A Broken Frame.

They're will be loud Depeche Mode in this house tonight!

I have all 6 domestic titles. But I've just ordered the UK versions because I want the SACD!!! If my DVD players can handle the region 0 PAL, I'll be able to sell the domestics. If not, I'll have to keep 'em all.

John,

Did you get the "Live in Milan" DVD set (get the version with 2 DVDs and bonus CD)???

Jimbo is picking it up for me in the city. We're meeting tomorrow night at the Porcupine Tree show.

Hey John: It's sitting here on my desk! See ya tomorrow!

Some Great Reward arrived today along with the completion of my Wherehouse.com order (the 2 new Chicago remasters plus other things).

Once again I must say...I wish all IMWANkers could here this stuff on a good 5.1 sound system. Just mind blowing!:D

Hey John, are they "aggressive" surround mixes? I like it when they push the limits of 5.1, like the Super Furry Animals discs do.

Yes, very involving. State of the art use of surround sound. Of course this type of music always sounds great in surround (synth-techno-type stuff).

Sound quality up to SACD standards? (See, I'm looking for the "It's like they're in my living room!" answer. )

Oh yes. The sound is very much "they are in the room with all their amps and synths" quality!!!

Violator is a revelation in SACD.

Has anyone had trouble ordering from CD WOW?

Just tried to place my first order with them (for Violator and MFTM) and the site wouldn't take my credit card, even though I definitely filled in all the info correctly.

Any hints?

Most of the newer DVD players can be hacked to become region-free players. It's easier than one might suspect.

Tonight I've been listening to A Broken Frame using my "region-free" Denon 3910. The DVD disc has a very nice DTS 5.1 version.

Also the film "The Beginning of the Dark Phase" is very informative of the post- Vince Clarke 1982 period.

I've always felt A Broken Frame is the forgotten Depeche Mode gem.

Really?, I am sitting on a Later...Jools Holland Cool Britannia 2 and even though its noted as E-for Exempt I received error codes stating "The Region coding of this disc does not match that of player". It's a shame because the line-up is incredible.

My DVD/CD player is a Yamaha DVD-940. Can this be updated for All regions?

Thanks DanO

Rick A.

Rick, thats a shame.

It does say Region 0 over at CDUniverse for that DVD:

'Later... With Jools Holland - Cool Britannia' is loaded with 34 live performances from the hit BBC show, hosted by none other than Jools Holland. Highlights include up-and-coming British acts to the veterans, all of which performed on the seminal television show over to course of the past 10 years. Highlights include, Radiohead 'The Bends', Franz Ferdinand 'Take Me Out', Coldplay 'In My Place', Paul Weller 'Sunflower', Spiritualized 'Come Together', The Darkness 'I Believe in a Thing Called Love', Keane 'This is the Last Time', Morrissey 'Boy Racer' and many more from, Oasis, The Verve, Starsailor, Suede, Super Furry Animals, Doves, Manic Street Preachers amongst others. NTSC / Region 0..



Sounds like a great lineup....I may order one soon!

btw...I was checking the Net to see if their are any hacks for that Yamaha but couldn't find one.

Another thing that is great about finally having a 'region free' player is now I can order the unedited version of Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut from the UK with scenes not seen here in the USA.

Thanks John for looking. Maybe DanO might find something.

The disc in question is a killer, its a who's who with almost any artist you can name from the last 5 years having a track. 30 tracks all told. I have most of the Holland "Later" series but this is the first not to play. I tried it on the two different systems I have and both failed.

I have contacted the distributor for a replacement but asked them to verify operability at their end first if they can find one. Maybe a manufactoring oversight.

What Region free player do you have? Is it the Denon player you bought about two years back? Funny, many low-end players can play Region free but the upper makes cannot.

Rick A.

Yes, its the Denon 3910 that I bought last year. I knew that it was PAL capable but had never instituted the hack.

So the other night I was in the mood to see the DVD portion of the latest Depeche Mode SACDs/DVDs from CDWow. Without the hack the DVD portion wouldn't play but after I installed the code off the remote...the player now accepted PAL vidoes. Amazing!

I'm very happy but of course this player costs around $1400 dollars so it should play all discs.